So coach Rex Ryan had the speakers turned up to max volume and a staffer pumped in music — anything from West Side Connection's "Gangsta Nation" to "Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez — to create the loudest environment possible during practice.

That practice was held indoors Wednesday because of a snowstorm, but made sense under any weather conditions because it's the closest way to simulate what the Jets will face in Seattle; Ryan calls it "a hostile environment" where "the fans are over the top."

He meant it as a compliment.

Giants:Eli Manning and the New York Giants can talk about lack of execution, poor decisions and bad plays all they want to explain their offensive woes the past two weeks. What's missing is obvious. Wide receiverHakeem Nicks has been out of the mix since returning to the lineup four games ago and his chances of getting back in this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals doesn't look good with his left knee acting up again. With Nicks and Victor Cruz on the outside, Manning usually has two targets opponents have to be worried about. Not anymore. A 1,000-yard receiver each of the past two seasons, Nicks has rarely been 100 percent this season. He broke his right foot in the off-season and then hurt his knee in Week 2.

Patriots: Quarterback Tom Brady is sixth in passer rating in the NFL, tied for fifth in touchdown passes, third in yards and first in fewest interceptions per attempt. He has also completed more than 60 percent of his passes in each of the first eight games for the first time. But as a downside, New England is only 5-3 and he's a key contributor to some of those losses.

NFL picks: Thursday night game

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Pete Dougherty

Times Union

12-2

85-57 (.644)

Jacksonville

Bill Douglas

Times Union *

9-5

73-69 (.553)

Indianapolis

Jennifer Gish

Times Union

10-4

74-68 (.561)

Indianapolis

Pete Iorizzo

Times Union

11-3

87-55 (.659)

Indianapolis

Max Lavoie

Times Union **

12-2

83-59 (.629)

Indianapolis

Drew Brill

ABC-10

11-3

85-57 (.644)

Indianapolis

Marisa Jacques

YNN (TW-9)

9-5

76-66 (.576)

Indianapolis

Kelly O'Donnell

CBS-6

9-5

84-58 (.636)

Indianapolis

Kristian Read

Fox-23

12-2

87-55 (.659)

Indianapolis

Rodger Wyland

NBC-13

12-2

86-56 (.652)

Indianapolis

* — Bill Douglas, Times Union deputy sports editor, has assumed the season record of former sports editor Hank Domin.

** — Max Lavoie, an 11-year-old from Latham, has joined the Times Union panel and will select games all season along with the newspaper and TV folks.